Project Motherhood: Charlie and Vaggie
by Gamer95
Summary: Harry Potter does the unthinkable to get into heaven, but circumstances lead him to hell instead. Luckily, the princess of hell and her lover are there to give him the love he had been so desperately trying to attain.
1. Chapter 1

Little Harry Potter was not at all a happy child. All his life, he was constantly reminded of how hated and unloved he was. His uncle hated him, his aunts hated him, his cousin hated him, his aunt's dog hated him... He was extremely sad and lonely, with no one to turn to except for his only possession, a small stuffed deer.

However, there was one thing that gave him hope. One thing that he had heard from the television. He remembered so clearly that his parents did love him, unlike what his aunt and uncle had told him. They were gone now...But he had heard of heaven from a show Dudley had been watching. Those who were good would go to heaven to see all their loved ones who had died. If Harry was good and patient, he would see his parents again.

And so, little Harry Potter put all of his effort into being the best child he could possibly be. He tried to be polite, he got a lot more work done around the house, and he took his beatings quietly.

But it just wasn't enough for Vernon Dursley. The man DESPISED his nephew, and the reason for that was simple... The boy was a freak. His freaky magic ruined EVERYTHING. So the man always made a point to remind the boy of his place.

And one night, he had come home particularly drunk, and he wasted no time in punishing the freak. The house was supposed to be SPOTLESS, and yet there was still a spot left uncleaned!

By the time he was done, Harry was just...broken. He couldn't even will himself to cry anymore. Uncle Vernon had beaten him absolutely senseless. It was so much worse than before though... It had gone on so much longer, and it had been so much more fierce... But that wasn't the worst part. His uncle had taken his plush deer and his blanket and burned them in the fireplace. Those two items were all he had. Now he had nothing...

He realized being good was pointless... He would always suffer, no matter what he did...

Unless...Unless he went to heaven...

And all he had to do was...

Hope gleaming in his eyes, Harry quietly opened his cupboard and snuck into the kitchen...

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN HE CAN'T COME IN?!" An enraged James Potter roared with tears in his eyes. He didn't care that he was yelling at the one who created him. His son was dead, and was now being denied access to heaven!

"Please understand, my child. Your child contains a great darkness within. It is not his fault we cannot let him in, but alas...That is just the way things are."

"Damn you! I will not accept this! That's my SON! You can't send him to hell! He's FIVE! How can you be so cruel?! He never asked for that madman's power! It's not his fault!"

"Your anger is justified. But I am not as cruel as you may think. Not all denizens of hell are evil. Please trust in me... While young Harry cannot come into heaven, he will be taken care of."

"...Go to hell... I don't care who you are, just...Just go to hell..." James spat as he walked away. How was he going to tell his already devastated wife that their son was going to hell?

"...I hope someday you will come to forgive me, my child..."

Harry's eyes opened, and for a moment, he was overjoyed, thinking he had made it! But then he looked around and saw that it was nothing like he had imagined... There was no clouds, no bright colours, it was... dark...

"Move it, runt!" Harry squeaked as he felt himself get roughly shoved to the ground, a massive one eyed monster stomping past him in annoyance.

...This couldn't be heaven...It just couldn't be...

Harry walked around timidly, looking around at the creatures around him. They came in all shapes and sizes, but none of them looked particularly happy to see him... He approached some creatures that were casually inhaling some form of drug.

"Um...E-Excuse me..." The demons turned to look at him in annoyance. "Wh-Where am I...?"

"Where the hell d'ya think you are, idiot?" One of the beasts said curtly, causing Harry to flinch.

"I-Is this heaven...?" The monsters looked at him in disbelief.

"Buddy, just how stupid are ya? This place f*ckin' LOOK like heaven to you? Just 'cause you look like a five year old kid don't mean you gotta act like one."

"B-But I am five... I wanted to go to heaven... I wanted my mommy and daddy... That's why I..."

"Wait, wait, wait, you serious?" One of the demons said with a raised brow. "You're five and you're down here in hell?" Harry's blood ran cold.

"H-Hell...?" The demons laughed, as though they had just been told a hilarious joke.

"Suicide's a sin, kid. Ya made a big mistake." The largest of the creatures said before reaching forward and grabbing him. "Y'know, I know a way to make a quick buck off ya...Got a friend who'd LOVE to meet ya...I'll just take ya down to him and get us a high price!"

If Harry was scared before, he was horrified now. "No! Please let me go! I'm sorry! I don't wanna! Please-

"PIPE DOWN! YOU'RE IN HELL NOW, YOU'LL SUFFER AND LIKE IT!" Harry whimpered and began to tear up. "Heh...Submissive... My friend'll like that..." The demons began walking with Harry.

 _"Release our host..."_

"Eh? Who said that?"

 _"I will make you suffer..."_

Harry was even more upset now. There was a scary voice...It wad quiet, almost like a whisper...

And then, it happened... His shadow began to move of it's own volition. First bubbling...Then morphing into the form of several large, hissing snakes.

"What the f*ck?!" The demon holding Harry dropped him in shock, causing him to hit the ground with a squeak. The snakes sized up their prey.

 _"You...will...die..."_

"Stay the hell back!" The leader boomed. The snakes lunged. Roaring, the demon punched forward...

And screamed as he felt his arm get torn off by the shadow's teeth. Before he could do anything more, one of the snakes bit down on his head and tore it clean off, spitting it out in disgust.

The other demons, seeing their leader downed so easily, turned to flee...But did not get far before Harry's shadows once again lunged and struck them from behind, piercing through their backs and coming out through their chests.

Once they were sure the demons were dead, they returned to Harry's shadow from whence they came. Harry was shaking and hyperventilating. He didn't want this... He just wanted his mommy and daddy... Why him?!

 _"Move. It is dangerous here."_

Hearing his shadow's order, Harry got up and began to run. He ran as fast as his little legs would carry him. He didn't stop running, even when he was utterly exhausted. Until finally, he came to an empty alleyway.

 _"This is fine. Rest here."_

Harry collapsed against the wall. He was feeling all sorts of negative emotions right now. Sad, confused, terrified, unsure... He was more miserable here than he had ever been at the Dursley's.

...He should have waited...It was his fault he was here... If he had been patient... The demon said it... What he did wad bad...That was why he didn't make it to heaven...

Harry was miserable...But he was too scared to cry... He just closed his eyes, and eventually fell into a fitfull slumber.

Two weeks later...

Charlie always looked forward to date night. It was, by far, the highlight of the week. Just her and Vaggie, spending time together, having fun and enjoying each other's company. They had just seen a movie, they had dinner, and now they were just walking about and enjoying the night, the limo parked by the block.

"This...has been the BEST. DATE. EVER." Charlie said with a grin. Vaggie gave her a mirthful smirk.

"Every date is the best date ever to you." Charlie leaned on her lover's shoulder.

"Because it's more time spent with you." She said matter-of-factly. Vaggie just chuckled.

"You're way too sweet, babe." She said, running her fingers through her girlfriend's blonde hair, eliciting a giggle.

The two took a seat on a bench nearby, and just sat in a comfortable silence, enjoying each other's embrace...

But then a noise caught their attention. It sounded like...screaming. Horrified, agonized screaming. And Charlie, being the paragon of goodness, was quick to jump into action. "Vaggie, gotta go help, sweetie!" Vaggie watched with wide eyes as Charlie got up and ran in the directions the screams came from.

"Ch-Charlie, wait! You are NOT going on your own!" Vaggie began to sprint after her lover.

When Charlie reached the scene, she froze. There were seven dead bodies in the area, and an eighth demon was in the process of being torn to shreds by a giant, shadowy snake.

She reacted quickly, however. "STOOOOP!" The snake froze, and slowly turned it's head to look at her. "Stop. ...He's already dead." Her voice was soft and melancholy. The snake dropped the demon's corpse and began to approach her slowly. "I'm sure you had your reasons, but carnage like this cannot be allowed to continue. I know there's good in you. You don't have to-"

 _"You...are not like the rest..."_

Charlie blinked. "I-I'm sorry...?"

 _"You are different...Kind...Loving... We sense...no malice in your heart... Perhaps...you can help us..."_

"Help you? Well of course. I'd love to help. Just tell me what you need, within reason, and I'll do it."

 _"Our host suffers... He has fallen to despair... He craves a loving touch... You must help him...Or he will surely perish..."_

"Your...host?" The serpents began to slither away, and as they did, a black shield disippated to reveal something that Charlie would never forget.

A tiny, frightened figure, curled up in a ball, hugging his knees and trembling. This could only be a...a child...

Charlie's maternal instincts were kicking into overdrive now. She rushed right over there and snatched up the trembling ball, pulling him into her arms and pressing him against her bosom. The child's reaction wasn't quite what she would have liked...

"NO! PLEASE NO! I DON'T WANNA! DON'T HURT ME! SHADOW! HELP! HELP, PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANNA!"

Eyes wide, Charlie tightened her hold on the boy. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. This was not tbe time to freak out... This boy needed comfort.

"Hey...Hey, it's okay... It's okay." Charlie cooed softly into his ear, running her fingers through his hair. "Please calm down... I'm not going to hurt you...Just relax..." The child's thrashing began to die down, and his yells became gradually quieter. "There you go. See? You're doing it... You're not in danger...It's okay..."

At that moment, a very tired and worried Vaggie finally caught up, giving her lover a glare. "Charlie, you had me worried sick! What the f-" She trailed off at the sight of Harry. "Wait...Is that...a todfler?! What's a toddler doing down here?! Toddlers are NOT supposed to be down here!" The fact that such a young child was down here was horrifying to Vaggie. It was just...so many kinds of wrong!

"Vaggie..." Charlie gave her lover a sad look, and Vaggie blinked.

"R-Right...Sorry... Didn't mean to scare the little guy..." Charlie smiled sadly before turning back to the child in her arms.

"Please...I'm scared...I don't wanna be in this place..."

"I know...I know...It's gonna be okay... We'll get you somewhere safe..."

Harry took in the sound of her voice and he almost burst into tears. Normally if he got scared or upset, he got yelled at...But whoever this was was talking to him...just the way he always wanted to be talked to when he was feeling that way. He always wanted someone to make him feel better when he felt horrible, and that soft, soothing voice flowing into his ears was just that. Slowly, he looked up to see a pretty blonde woman smiling gently down at him.

"Aww, there's a cute little face." Charlie cooed, causing him to let out a soft whimper. "Aw, sorry if I upset you, sweetie..." She rubbed his cheek. "I'd never make a little cutie sad on purpose, after all."

Harry hesitated for a few moments before carefully snuggling in closer to the pretty woman. He flinched for a moment, expecting her to throw him away. Instead, she giggled and stroked his head gently. "Aww...You're a cuddly little guy..."

She wasn't mad... She was letting him snuggle up... This felt...nice... Harry felt content... And he was tired... So, so tired...

Charlie watched the little boy nod off in her arms, smiled softly, then took a deep breath and looked over at Vaggie, who was looking at the boy with great concern. "Vaggie? I think now's the time to go home." She said with a small smile.

Vaggie blinked. "Yeah. Right. Let's get back to the limo."

The two began the trip back. "...I don't like this, Vaggie... I don't understand why a little boy is down here all alone..."

"Hmm...Maybe he was born here and he lost his parents." Vaggie offered.

"...I hate that that's the best case scenario..." Charlie said softly.

"...He looks too human to be a demon, though... There's nothing-GAH!" Vaggie jumped back as Harry's shadow popped out and began to inspect her. "Uh...hi...?"

The shadow said nothing. It simply nodded and slithered back into the ground.

"I guess the shadow approves of me?" Vaggie said nervously.

"It better, because you're not going anywhere." Charlie replied with a grin as she wrapped her free arm around her love, holding Harry with the other arm. Vaggie just smiled.

Soon enough they reached the limo, and they climbed in. The driver raised a brow at the child, but he wasn't paid to ask questions, so he just shrugged and turned to face the road. When everyone was situated, he started the engine.

Now Harry had not had a good time in hell at all. He barely got any sleep, and on the rare occasions he did fall asleep, it was not long before he was woken up by a hostile demon. As a result, he was a very light sleeper, and he was extremely on edge, so the sound of the limo's engine starting up was more than enough to jolt him from his slumber, breathing heavily and looking around wildly for any signs of danger.

"Shhh... Shh shh shh shh shh..." A soothing voice almost immediately calmed him down as he noticed the newly familiar pair of arms around him. "It's okay, honey, it's okay... It's just the limo. You're okay..." Harry took a deep breath and snuggled in closer.

Vaggie couldn't help but smile softly at Charlie's interactions with the boy. Charlie wanted a child for such a long time... But orphanages weren't exactly a common sight in hell, and they were both infertile... Also she wasn't sure she really wanted to be a mom... But hey, if it made Charlie happy.

"Sweetie?" The child looked up at her timidly. "Do you have a name?" The child looked down.

"H-Harry..." He said softly. Charlie giggled.

"Awww, I LOVE that! It fits you SO well!" She gushed, ruffling his hair. " Well, it's nice to meet you, Harry. My name is Charlie. And this is my amazing girlfriend, Vaggie!"

Vaggie blinked. "Uh...Hey there."

"Hi Miss Charlie... Hi Miss Vaggie..." Charlie gigglec.

"You're so cute," She cooed, patting his head. Harry's eyes widened.

"You mean it...?" He asked softly, as if he had never been told anything nice before. Charlie nodded.

"Of course I do. Just the cutest little cuddle muffin~." Vaggie chuckled slightly at the expression on the boy's face. He looked downright baffled.

"Th-Thank you Miss Charlie..." Charlie rubbed his back.

"Harry, sweetie... I have some questions I want to ask you... First...How old are you?"

"F-Five..."

Vaggie blinked. Five? He looked like he was two! The only way he could be five is if...he was severely malnourished...

"Five...Okay, good. How long have you been down here?" Harry's face scrunched up in concentration.

"Um...Uh...I..."

 _"Two weeks."_

Vaggie looked around with wide eyes for the source of the voice, then realized it was coming from the shadow. Two weeks... Then that destroyed her 'born down here' theory... Someone actually sentenced a child to hell...

"...Okay... Two weeks..." Charlie was having the same thoughts, as evidenced by the quake in her voice. "...Just one more question, okay? ...Why did you get sent to hell?" Vaggie leaned forward, now fully invested.

Harry whimpered. "I...I... M-my aunt and uncle didn't like me... Th-They hurt me a lot... They...They hit me...They hit me with their hands... They hit me with belts... They hit me with bats...um...frying pans...pots...that thing you use to poke the fireplace...They...They put me on the stove and turned it on...They made me drink what was under the sink, they threw me, they gave me baths in really hot water, and it hurt...It all hurt so much... N-Nobody liked me... Except my mommy and daddy... But they were gone... But then I saw heaven on the tv... and I thought..." His voice began to break. "I thought I could go there and be with my mommy and daddy, so I...I...I..."

Harry covered his eyes. "I didn't know it was bad... I'm sorry... I just wanted my mommy and daddy..."

Charlie had witnessed her people being slaughtered by the thousands for many years. She had dealt with the pain of her dream nearly failing. She had dealt with the strained relationship she had with her mother. But now...Her heart was utterly shattered, This child...He suffered so much, and...

Forcing back tears of her own, Charlie tightened her hold on the little boy and began to slowly rock him back and forth. She bit her lip as she felt his trembling frame struggle to hold back tears. "It's okay, honey, it's okay... Just let it out..." Harry, upon being given the go-ahead, released his pain and began to cry softly into Charlie's chest, his cries slowly getting louder with each passing second.

Charlie turned her head to look at Vaggie, who was staring at the child in stunned disbelief, her mouth agape, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. At first, Vaggie had felt a little awkward about the kid. She knew that Charlie would want to adopt him, and she was worried about being a mother. But after hearing that...

She had seen some awful stuff. She had previously been a prostitute before coming to hell. She had spent more time than she cared to count with Angel Dust. But such a tiny child, abused so heavily, pushed over the edge like this... She thought it would be impossible to feel this much heartbreak for a soul confined to hell...But here she was, feeling sick to her stomach with every sob the poor boy let out.

Slowly, she made her way over until she was sitting right next to Charlie, then she put a hand on the boy's shoulder and squeezed gently, showing him some much needed comfort. "It's gonna be okay, kiddo...I promise." She said gently, though she wasn't sure if the child heard it. Charlie gave her a grateful smile.

Soon enough, Harry's crying died down, as he had cried himself to sleep in Charlie's arms. The two women sat in silence, looking at the child sadly. Then, Charlie's shoulders began to shake. Vaggie looked up to see that her once green eyes were now glowing red, she had long red horns atop her head, and her razor sharp teeth were gritted in rage.

It took a lot to sufficiently anger Charlie...And this was more than enough.

"Those...Those disgusting...evil...abominations..." Charlie growled through clenched teeth. "How could they...? How...? And heaven... Heaven...is a F*CKING JOKE!"

Vaggie was slightly taken aback at the explicit curse, but it was completely understandable after what they just learned.

"When I get my hands on his aunt and uncle...They will PAY for what they did to him...I will make them SUFFER."

"Charles...Stop." Charlie looked at Vaggie. "I know you're mad...I'm mad too...But I'm not gonna let you soil your hands like that. When the time comes, if you still want it, maybe Angel Dust or Alastor can handle them. That sort of thing just isn't you though..."

Charlie took a deep breath, her face returning to normal. Then she looked down at Harry, who was whimpering in his sleep.

"He...He just wanted his parents, Vaggie...He just wanted to be loved..." Charlie began to sob softly, weeping for the little boy in her arms. Vaggie teared up as well. She began to gently rub circles on Charlie's back. "H-He was alone out there for two whole weeks..." Charlie said between sobs.

"I know, babe... But he wasn't completely alone... His shadow was there for him... I don't think any demon is crazy enough to mess with that thing..." It was small comfort, but it was something.

"How could they do this to him...? How could heaven not let this poor, sweet little thing in...? It's not fair... He didn't know about that stupid 'suicide is a sin' rule... He's just a baby... He doesn't belong down here..."

Vaggie frowned. "...Wait... What if the suicide's not how he got here...?" Charlie's sobs ceased as she turned to her love. "Heaven's not that cruel...What if...What if this has something to do with that thing in his shadow...?"

"...That's still not fair... He didn't ask for it... It's just not right..."

"Well...The big guy upstairs isn't easy to figure out... Maybe the idea was for you to find him. Maybe his plan wad for us to take care of him." Charlie looked down at Harry sadly. Then, she looked at Vaggie with a rekindled fire of determination in her eyes.

"You're right. If he can't have a fair shot on Earth or Heaven, then we'll just have to give him one down here in hell. We will make him so happy he won't even know the difference between heaven and hell!" Charlie smiled and kissed Charlie on the cheek.

"That's my girl." She said fondly. "Now that just leaves me with the question of how we're gonna get Angel Dust to tone it down around him..."

Charlie turned and gave Vaggie a kiss on the lips. "Thank you, Vaggie...I love you." Vaggie smiled back.

"Love ya too, babe."

Then, a soft yawn was heard. Harry, who was used to sleeping in intervals, woke up. Charlie smiled softly and rubbed his cheek. "Hi, sweetie. Enjoy your nap?" Harry, not yet fully awake, simply nodded and leaned into her touch.

Charlie smiled at him tenderly, before looking over at Vaggie. "...Vaggie, sweetie, why don't you hold him for a bit?"

Vaggie blinked, then smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Heh...Sure." She replied before reaching out and accepting the child into her arms. Harry let out a soft squeak as he felt himself leave Charlie's grasp and enter Vaggie's.

"Hi..." He said timidly.

"Hi to you too, kiddo. Have a good nap?"

"Yes thank you..."

"Good, good. Heh...You're a real tiny guy. Reminds me of a little teddy bear."

"R-Really...? I'm like a teddy...?"

"Oh yeah. But even better. Because you are actually real." She gave his nose a little poke, and he tilted his head.

"Um...I used to have a teddy...But it was a deer, not a bear..."

"Heh...Cute..."

"His name was Prongs...But my uncle burned him... And my blankie..."

Vaggie went silent, then adjusted her hold so that his tiny head was resting on her shoulder and began to rub his back. "...I can't even begin to describe how sorry I am to hear about what they did to you... We'll get you a new plushie and blankie. Whatever ones you want."

Y-You mean it...? You don't have to... I don't wanna be trouble to you..."

"It's no trouble, little guy. No trouble at all. You deserve it anyway. You're a good kid."

"I...I am...?"

"You know it."

"But...But then why didn't heaven let me in...?"

"Well...Some people down here just get a raw deal... Sometimes heaven makes mistakes, and not letting you in just happens to be the biggest one they've made. Don't feel like you're a bad kid because of that, because I can tell just by looking at you that you're a very good kid. So don't let ending up down here drag you down. You've got us now."

Harry's eyes widened. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Charlie smiling warmly at him. "Vaggie's right. You have us now." Harry began to tear up.

"Y-You really want me...?"

Vaggie shifted her hold on Harry so she and Charlie could both hug him from both sides. "Yes Harry..." Charlie said softly. "It breaks my heart that you've been through so much... You've been caused so much pain... And we want to make that pain go away. We want to protect you...To take care of you... To love you."

"What do you say, little guy? Wanna become a member of the family? We'd be more than happy to have ya." Vaggie said gently.

Harry began trembling uncontrollably. "Y-Yes please..." He choked out before he began to sob once again.

"So then it's settled... Welcome to the family, Harry." Vaggie said gently.

Charlie began to hum a soft tune in Harry's ear, gently lulling him to sleep as his sobs slowly died down. Both girls smiled down at the child gently. Charlie pulled out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at his face with it, cleaning away his tears.

Harry felt a happiness in his heart, and his dreams, for the first time, were pleasant and happy.

This time around, it was Vaggie who held Harry while he slept, eliciting a pout from Charlie. The former prostitute cradled Harry like a baby and rocked him back and forth.

"...Okay, we need to get this kid some food. Feels like a stiff breeze would blow him away."

"Awww, Vaggie, you are SUCH a good mom!" Charlie gushed. She LOVED this new motherly side of her lover.

Vaggie rolled her eyes and put a finger over Charlie's lips. "C'mon, Charles, he just went to slerp, don't wake him up already." Charlie pouted, the smiled and kissed Vaggie's finger. "Okay, Harry's still the cutest thing in this vehicle, but you are a VERY close second." Charlie giggled.

Vaggie felt Harry snuggle in closer to her and smiled at him gently. Yep...She was a mom now. Wow did she feel old...

Finally, the hotel came into view and Vaggie sighed. "So, Charlie... Any ideas on how to prevent Angel from messing around with the giant shadow snake monster?"

"Well...When Angel Dust learns, he always learns the hard way..." Charlie said with a grimace.

"Well, hopefully it's not too loud in the-YIKE!" Vaggie yelped as the familiar grin of Alastor awaited her at the door.

"Why good evening, ladies. Your return is slightly late. I trust your date went well?"

"How many times do I have to tell you not to startle me like that?" Vaggie said with crossed arms.

"Ah yes, of course, my apologies. I simply sensed a new arrival and wished to see them for myself."

"He's sleeping right now, Alastor. He's...had a tough day. Let us in, okay?" A tired Charlie said.

"Ah, yes, of course." The grinning doorman pulled open the doors to the hotel.

Upon entering, the girls were relieved to find that it was, in fact, relatively quiet. Husk, Angel, Baxter and Crymini were at the bar, and Mimzy and Niffty were tidying up the tables. Everyone turned to look as the two heads of the hotel stepped in... And all looked taken aback at the sight of the child in Vaggie's arms. Charlie and Vaggie looked around at everyone's reactions. Finally, Angel broke the silence.

"So uh... Why'd you guys bring a midget home?"

"He's not a midget, he's a kid." Vaggie said sternly. "And YOU better be on your best behaviour around him."

"A kid? Yeah right." Husk said gruffly. "The guys upstairs wouldn't send a two year old down here. Being a kid's practically a get-into-heaven free card." He took another swig of his drink.

Vaggie grimaced. "Well... The circumstances of his death is what got him sent down here. That's all I'm gonna say." She said.

"But hey! The good news is, Vaggie and I are parents now!" Charlie said, trying to lighten the mood. A delighted squeal sounded out, and Niffty hugged Charlie from the side. "Oooh, congratulations! How old is he? What's his name? Can I be his godmother?!"

"Niffty, shhh." Charlie put a hand over the cyclops' mouth. "He's sleeping."

"Mmswwy." Niffty apologized.

"Oh, congratulations, dear, I know you've wanted this for such a long time." Mimzy congratulated. Charlie grinned in response.

Baxter approached and inspected the child carefully. "Hmm... Why does he look so human? No horns...No extra limbs...No nothing."

Baxter received his answer shortly after the fact when Harry's shadow made itself known. The occupants of the hotel watched with wide eyes as the serpents emerged. Then, they began to inspect everyone individually. First, they approached Husk, who was in the middle of chugging down some alcohol. He opened one eye to look at them, then went back to his drink, causing the serpents to shake their heads in disgust.

Next, they went to inspect Niffty, who squeaked and ducked down in an attempt to hide herself from their gaze.

After that was Mimzy, who remained still as they looked her over for any signs of a threat.

Then came Baxter, who eyed the beings with interest. "I see now... The boy's demonic form is contained within his shadow... Fascinating... I've never seen anything like it..."

Next was Crymini, who leaned back with a raised brow as the snake approached. "Hey, buddy, know what personal space is? Back it up a bit, will ya?"

So far, everyone had checked out just nicely. However, the second the snakes laid eyes on Angel and Alastor, they hissed aggressively.

 _"STAY BACK! COME NO CLOSER!"_

Alastor grinned. "My oh my...It seems we're unpopular with the serpent's, old boy."

"What? Come on, I'm a great guy! Just gimme a- HOLY CRAP!"

The serpents launched to attack the second Angel took a step forward. The spider demon hurriedly raised his hands to defend himself while Alastor just grinned wider.

Charlie intervened, however, before things could escalate. "STOP! What is wrong with you?! They did nothing to you!"

 _"We sense great darkness within them. Many evil deeds...They are a threat."_

"They are not! They're here to atone for what they did in the past! They're not going to hurt Harry. I promise you that." The shadows narrowed their eyes.

 _"Very well...But we will be watching them..."_

Charlie watched the serpents slither back into the ground and sighed in relief. Vaggie turned to Husk. "So that's probably the reason he's down here, to answer your question."

"Yep, kid or not, the old feather dusters don't take kindly to that kinda sh*t from what I've heard. Probably better off down here."

Vaggie looked down at Harry and frowned. She hoped that Husk was wrong and just being his usual cynical self...But she just wasn't sure what to think anymore...

"Well...We're gonna turn in...G'night everyone." Vaggie said as she began to make her way upstairs.

"Vaggie, wait! It's my turn to hold him!" Charlie rushed after her lover. The misfits watched them go.

"...The boy is human." Everyone turned to look at Alastor. "He has maintained his humanity, while his shadow is the demon."

"But how? That's not possible!" Baxter exclaimed.

"Yes, you're quite right... It's a most intriguing situation. I do look forward to seeing how it plays out."

The two women entered their room and sighed softly. "Well...It's officially official... We're parents now..." Vaggie said.

"Mm-hmm! And we'll be the best parents hell has ever seen!" Vaggie chose not to mention that hell doesn't really have a lot of parents in the first place and just nodded. They tucked him into bed, and then he began to stir, and his eyes opened slightly. Charlie smiled.

"Hi, sweetie. We're gonna go to bed now, okay? Just close your eyes and try to go to sleep."

The tired child reached up to Charlie slightly. "Mama..." He mumbled before going back to sleep. Charlie froze on the spot, and Vaggie gave her a concerned look.

"Uh...Charles, you broken there?"

Slowly, the happiest smile Vaggie had ever seen on her lover grew as tears formed in her eyes. "Vaggie... He... He called me mama..." She breathed out, gazing tenderly at the sleeping child. Vaggie smiled and walked next to her, hugging her tightly.

"Can't think of anyone better for the job, babe." She said gently. The two shared a kiss before looking back at their child. Harry subconsciously reached out and grabbed Vaggie's hand, causing her to blink. "Mommy Vaggie..." He mumbled in his sleep.

Vaggie blushed slightly, but she still smiled softly at the boy and squeezed his hand back. "That's right, kid...Mommy Vaggie's here." Then, leaning forward, she gently planted a kiss on his brow.

Charlie felt like her heart was about to explode. Surpressing squeals, she quickly leaned forward and pressed her lips against Harry's cheek.

"Well...If he didn't win me over before, he definitely did now." Vaggie said softly.

"I love him so, so much... Our little baby boy..." Charlie whispered, gently stroking Harry's hair.

The two exchanged a smile, then began to change into their sleepwear. They climbed under the covers with Harry, careful not to wake him, then they both gave him one more kiss each.

"Good night, honey..." Charlie said softly. "Things are about to get much, much better..."


	2. Chapter 2

It wasn't exactly easy to tell what time was night and what was day in hell. The sky always remained a dark pink colour. Only those who had lived there for long periods of time understood how the time system worked.

And hell's princess was an early riser ever since youth. She opened her eyes and blinked slightly in confusion when she saw a messy head of black hair in front of her. However, it took mere seconds for her mind to catch up to her, and she smiled. Gently, she began running her fingers through the little boy...HER little boy's hair, causing him to subconsciously snuggle in closer to her. Giggling, the demoness leaned over and gently pressed her lips against his cheek.

The child smiled softly in his sleep, bringing a smile to Charlie's face. Looking over, she saw Vaggie still asleep, slightly curled in on herself, as she usually was. Charlie reached a hand over to gently run her hand through her lover's hair, then carefully got up so as not to wake them.

She remembered all of the horrific, heartbreaking things Harry had told them about his life and began to tear up. However, she quickly wiped the tears away and put on her best smile.

Harry had suffered for FAR too long. And so, for today, she had absolutely every intention of spoiling him silly. And she was going to start with breakfast in bed. How long had it been since he'd had a decent meal?

As she was leaving, Charlie saw Vaggie roll over in bed and subconsciously wrap her arms around Harry, pulling him in close to her chest, which in turn prompted Harry to nestle in closer and let out a cute coo sound.

Charlie melted at the sight. Forcing back her delighted squeals, she took the time to grab her phone and snapped a photo of the two. Tiptoeing out of the room, she gave them one last smile before carefully closing the door.

The princess made her way to the kitchen and put on an apron and a chef's hat. It was time to get to work!

Hell, due to the constant introduction of new inhabitants, was always taking inspiration from stories told by condemned souls, and it was through this that Charlie learned how to cook various dishes. For breakfast, she settled on three stacks of pancakes [Harry's plate was one pancake higher than her and Vaggie's], each with a smiley face made from bacon and eggs.

The meal was finished within thirty minutes, and Charlie looked over her handiwork with pride. Humming to herself, she placed the three plates on a tray and walked out of the kitchen, passing by Niffty, who had clearly just gotten out of bed.

Niffty was about to say good morning to Charlie when she noticed the batter on her clothes. Eye wide, she turned to look into the kitchen, and her shoulders slumped when she saw that it looked as though a huricane had blown through.

How was it that Charlie was such a good cook when she always left such a mess behind?

Back in the room, Charlie pushed the door open, and the smell of food roused the sleeping pair immediately. Vaggie groaned slightly and rubbed at her eyes with her free hand, the other arm still holding Harry, who yawned cutely and looked around the room nervously before seeing Charlie and almost immediately relaxing.

"Gooood morning!" Aforementioned princess greeted with a big smile. "I made breakfast!" She passed Vaggie a tray, who took it with a small smile, then set her own food to the side, wanting to spoon feed Harry. "Look, Harry!" She showed him his food. "It's happy to see you!" Harry's eyes widened.

"F-For me...?" He asked softly. Vaggie patted his head.

"Hey, we're not monsters like your aunt and uncle, kiddo. We're not gonna starve you." She said gently.

"That's right. Now open wide!" Charlie cut some of the food up and moved it to Harry's mouth. He opened his mouth slowly and accepted the bite of pancake, bacon and egg. His eyes visibly lit up at the taste, and Charlie giggled. "Aww, glad you like it, sweetie!"

"Th-Thank you so much..." Harry said softly. Charlie kissed his nose and then gave him another piece of the food. "Thank you..."

Vaggie chuckled as she began to cut into her own meal. "Thanks a ton for breakfast, Charles."

"It was my pleasure." Charlie replied before leaning over to give her lover a kiss. "I just thought our special boy deserved a special breakfast." Vaggie chuckled.

"...The kitchen's a disaster, isn't it?" Charlie slumped a bit, her smile turning sheepish.

"Maybe..." Vaggie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"And Niffty's probably in there cleaning it right now." Charlie's mouth formed into a guilty frown.

"Yeah... I'll pay her a little extra this week to make it up to her." Vaggie shook her head in amusement and returned to her breakfast, watching Harry as she ate. He was now sitting up and leaning against Charlie, who was seated next to him as she fed him. When Harry's food was gone, save for one piece of bacon that he was nibbling on, Charlie started on her own breakfast. She didn't pay that much attention to her food, instead focusing on smiling at Harry. Vaggie frowned.

"Charlie, over the tray. You're gonna get food in the bed." She chided lightly. Charlie pouted, then gave Harry a quick kiss on the head, causing him to look up at her with a small smile, before doing as she was told. Vaggie chuckled before looking with a frown at Harry's tattered, worn out clothes. "...Yeah we're gonna have to take him shopping."

Charlie nodded. "Yes...He does need new clothes. And some stuff to play with too." Vaggie nodded.

"Yeah, I already promised we'd replace his plush and blanket, and we don't really need to stop there." Charlie's smile widened into a tootby grin.

"We could get him some books to read to him at night, maybe some colouring books...Ooh! Some board games we can all play as a family!" Charlie let out a squeal at that as she felt joy flow through her heart, then hugged both her lover and her son tightly. Vaggie, for her part, couldn't help but smile at the thought.

Harry looked back and forth between his new caregivers. He didn't understand why they were so nice... He was UNBELIEVABLY grateful...But he still didn't get it.

 _"They are nice because they care. Their love is genuine. Do not forget it."_ The sound of his shadow's voice was all the convincing Harry needed. He found himself snuggling up to Charlie.

"Th-Thank you Miss Charlie... Thank you Miss Vaggie..." He said softly. Charlie smiled, before realizing something and pouted.

"Aww, what happened to mama and mommy?" Harry looked confused and scared, and Vaggie pulled him a bit closer to her.

"He was basically asleep when he called us that, Charles." Charlie sighed softly.

"Yeah..."

Vaggie gently wrapped a hand around Harry's and gave him a tender smile. "He can call us that...But on his terms. He'll start calling us that when he's ready."

Harry looked down, thinking. Could he...? Could he really...? His mommy and daddy were still in heaven, would they be mad? Well, it wasn't like he'd see them anyway... What was a mother though...? Harry thought back to Aunt Petunia... She loved Dudley, but he didn't seem to love her back... All he did was cry, whine and demand from her. That was not what he imagined a relationship with a mother should be...

But what should a mother be...? They should...love you... His shadow confirmed that Charlie and Vaggie did, indeed, love him, but...Did he love them...? He thought he did...But he began to think extra hard, just to be sure.

He remembered when Miss Charlie found him...She hugged him. It was the first hug he ever got... She was the first one to make him feel better when he felt terrible... He remembered how safe he felt when she held him... And he remembered that she let him cry when no one else would... And instead of getting mad, she just held him even closer...

He remembered when Miss Vaggie put her hand on his shoulder while he was crying and told him it would be okay... He remembered when she held him, when she told him he was good, when she apologized for his lost toys and hugged him tighter...

He remembered when they told him they wanted him to be a part of their family...

He felt safe around them. He felt comfortable. He felt...like he was worth something.

He DID love them. And he loved them genuinely. Not like Dudley... NEVER like Dudley. They were the only ones to show him they cared... He loved them with all his heart.

Slowly, he made his way over to Vaggie and wrapped his tiny arms around her. Vaggie hugged him back, and he felt her fingers running through his hair. Mustering up all his courage, he whispered one thing.

"Mommy..."

Vaggie blinked in surprise...Then a smile formed on her face. She tightened her hold on him. "Yeah... That's right...Mommy." She said gently before giving him a kiss on the top of his head. He looked up at her and smiled before turning to Charlie, who was beginning to tear up at the scene before her. He reached over to her with both arms, and Vaggie handed him over. He snuggled into the princess' tight, loving embrace.

"Mama..."

"AHHHHHH, HE SAID IT, HE SAID IT! EEEEEEEE!" Charlie exploded with excitement, nuzzling Harry's face relentlessly before covering his face in kisses, leaving black lipmarks all over him.

Harry was a BIT frightened by her outburst at first, but he could tell she was just excited. And he felt the excitement to, though he didn't express it.

He felt both girls hug him from either side and smiled.

So this was what having a family was like...


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie and Vaggie spent a comfortable ten minutes hugging their child tightly, smiling lovingly down at him as he relaxed into their embrace. At that moment, it was as if the three of them were all that existed.

However, the moment was interrupted when their room's phone rang.

Both girls groaned in annoyance before Vaggie picked up the phone. "What's broken and who did it?" She asked bluntly, already knowing why they were being called.

Alastor could be heard chuckling on the other end of the line. "Well, considering the direction from whence the sound came, I would estimate that Baxter has been working with volatile materials once again."

"Sorry!" Baxter's voice faintly came through.

Vaggie slapped her palm against her face and groaned. "Put him on the line please, Alastor." She heard a muffled conversation on the other end of the line before Baxter's nervous voice ran through.

"Erm...Hello..."

"Baxter, what have we told you about this kind of crap?"

Charlie covered Harry's ears with a frown, not wanting her baby to hear such language.

"I'm terribly sorry. I was so certain I had it this time..." Baxter apologized.

"Don't care. Just clean it up. We don't have time for this. We have shopping to do."

"Ah yes... The new member...Well, credit where it's due, at least the mixture didn't turn to acid before it exploded this time-" At that moment, Vaggie hung up the phone with a groan and rubbed her temples. Charlie just sighed in relief at having heard that the hotel wouldn't be dealing with another batch of that acid, Satan's Snot someone had named it, again, she still shuddered every time she remembered having to have over a dozen rooms completely rebuilt.

Vaggie looked at Harry with a frown. "...We better make sure he knows to make absolute sure Harry's not anywhere nearby when he's experimenting... I do NOT want him getting caught up in the aftermath of one of those disasters waiting to happen."

Charlie nodded her head. "You're absolutely right, sweetie. But just in case... Shadow?" The serpentine shadow slithered out from Harry's body and looked at her with a tilted head. "Listen closely because this is very important, if you and Harry are ever near Baxter's room and you hear any gurgling, rumbling, bubbling, zapping, or any other -ing noises and you hear it paired with phrases such as 'Uh oh,' 'Well that's interesting,' 'That's not supposed to happen,' or 'I think I've got it this time' you grab Harry, shield him the best you can, and run." Seeing how serious she was, the shadow nodded its head in affirmation.

 _"We see the danger. We will be on our guard."_ Charlie smiled and patted the creature's head.

"You're such a good guardian." She said gently as the shadow slithered back into it's host, who was looking up at her in confusion.

"Oh! We...live with a lot of other people, sweetie. And...one of them is a mad scientist. Who...isn't exactly careful with his inventions." Charlie explained.

"Yeah, the guy made a Frankenstein monster once, and it took a LOT to get rid of that thing." She had to admit, it WAS pretty badass when the enraged Angel Dust blew the thing to bits with four flamethrowers...

Charlie groaned however. "It took SOOOO long to get the soot out of the carpets..." Vaggie chuckled before patting Harry's head.

"You'll meet everyone else soon enough." She promised.

"Yeah, but right now is cuddle time!" Harry giggled slightly as Charlie covered his tiny face in kisses. Vaggie smiled and settled for just running her fingers through his hair gently. Both women just wanted him to know that he was loved.

This went on for fifteen minutes before Vaggie rose to her feet. "We really should go get that shopping done." Charlie pouted, and Vaggie rolled her eyes. "C'mon, Charles, you'll have plenty of time to use him as a teddy bear later."

Charlie sighed in a rather overdramatic fashion. "Fiiiine..." Vaggie smirked. The two got dressed up, then picked Harry up to carry him outside. They didn't run into any other employees. They assumed that they were all off cleaning Baxter's mess. They set up a limo ride, and within minutes, they were on their way into town.

"-and we can get him some footed pajamas, and some cute little slippers... Ooh! Maybe a panda costume!" Vaggie was only half listening as her lover rambled on about the various cute outfits she wanted to pick out for Harry, focusing on putting together a list of the necessities.

"Regular clothes, pajamas, toiletries, toys, snacks..." She mumbled under her breath.

Soon enough, the limo made it's stop at the biggest store in hell, Mall-Mart. An obvious ripoff of Wal-Mart from the surface world, this franchise destroyed it's competition by capitalizing on the nostalgia of Hell's populace, creating almost perfect replicas of various items from any period of time. From old fashioned clocks to the most recent video games, these stores had just about everything you could ask for. The perfect place to shop.

...Unless your girlfriend had absolutely no self control.

Vaggie raised a brow as she watched Charlie walk out the door to the clothing isle with enough bags to make a pack mule exhausted. "...Charlie..." She said in a warning tone. "You're gonna spoil him." Charlie turned to look at her with a sad smile.

"He's been through so much, Vaggie... I think he's earned the right to be just a LITTLE bit spoiled... At least for today..."

Vaggie winced slightly as she imagined what her child went through. Yeah...One day of spoiling him couldn't hurt... She looked over at Harry, looking perfectly content in her lover's arms, and smiled sadly. After all he'd been through, was it even possible for him to be spoiled rotten?

Vaggie sighed. "Just don't go TOO crazy. We still need money for the hotel." Charlie huffed.

"C'mon, honey, I'm the princess of hell! You think I can't afford it?" Vaggie raised a brow.

"Between the hotel, all the property damage and needing to pay our workers? It's not cheap. I'm not saying we can't buy those, just don't buy out the whole store." Charlie cringed. "...Charlie..."

"Heheh...Uuuuhh... The clothes will be delivered by tomorrow morning... If it...makes it any better, I paid for it with my own life savings..."

Vaggie sighed. "I swear, I'm a mother of two..." Approaching, Vaggie took Harry out of Charlie's grasp, causing her to whine. "Since this is your shopping spree, you can carry the bags and I'll carry Harry." Charlie's eyes widened.

"Vaaagiiie! That's just mean!" Charlie whined, following after her love.

Vaggie bought Harry a toothbrush and some child's toothpaste to go with it, she bought some bath supplies, such as soap, shampoo and bubble bath [Plus a couple bath toys for good measure], some medicine in case he got sick, and some little treats to reward him for good behaviour.

"Okay, Charlie, here's some more bags and she's not here, she must already be in the toy aisle." The exasperated woman groaned.

Harry looked at the bags and looked down, guilt swelling up inside him. "I'm sorry, mommy..." Vaggie blinked and looked down at him with a frown.

"Sorry? For what, little guy?"

"You and mama are spending a lot of money for me and...and..." Vaggie turned him around and held him up to eye level.

"Harry, sweetie...Don't you feel guilty about this, okay? We're choosing to do this for you. Because we love you. You're a good boy. You've more than earned it. So try and be happy about it, okay?" She said with a small smile. Harry smiled and reached out his arms.

"Hug...?" He asked timidly. Vaggie chuckled and held him close to her chest. "Thank you, mommy..." Vaggie gave him a kiss atop his tiny head.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Now let's go and pick out that plush and blanket like I promised." Harry smiled as she carried him to the toy isle.

She stopped in front of the plushies with a smile. "Okay, see any you like?" Harry looked around at all the various plush toys. They were...weird.

In fact there was one that was green, had wings, and what looked like an octopus for a head.

Looking around curiously, Harry found one that caught his interest.

Vaggie donned a dry smile as Harry picked out a small black snake plush toy, eerily similar to his shadow, albeit more cartoony in design, with cross eyes and it's tongue sticking out. Harry hugged it close and looked up at Vaggie. "Mommy...? Can I please have this one...?"

Vaggie kissed his forehead. "Of course you can, sweetie. If you want, you can pick out another."

"No thank you...You spent a lot of money already..." He said softly. Vaggie tightened her hold on him, but didn't pry.

"You're a sweetheart, Harry." She said gently, causing him to smile softly. "Now let's go pay for this-Charlie, you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME."

Charlie approached, dragging behind her a massive sack full of the purchases she had made. The sack practically touched the ceiling with it's sheer size, and Charlie was clearly struggling to pull it along.

"It all...came out...of my life savings..." Charlie panted. "My savings...are almost...a quarter of the way gone now..."

"...Babe, how long have you been saving all this money?"

"Since...I was five... Where else...would I get the money to buy you those gifts...?"

"Okay, fair... Okay, we just need to get Harry his blanket now. Since you didn't splurge the hotel's money, you can hold Harry when we get back to the limo."

And just like that, Charlie's exhaustion was gone, as she perked right up and all but skipped alongside her lover, the bag now feeling as light as a feather.

After paying for the plush, they went to the bedding isle.

"We'll have to get him a bed of his own at some point. He'll need his own room..." Vaggie commented.

"No. Not until he's older." Charlie said seriously. "I feel a lot safer having him sleep with us. What if one of the guests breaks into his room and does something to him? What if one of them is stronger than his shadow? I'm...just not willing to take the risk..."

"...Fair." Vaggie conceded. Harry, for his part, was looking around at the blankets, before he found one he liked. It was a simple blue blanket, just like his old one...

"I take it you found the one, huh?" Vaggie asked with a small smirk as she reached out and took the blanket off the shelf. "All right, we'll go pay for it, and then it's back to the hotel."

Soon enough, everything was paid for, and Harry was snugly wrapped in his blanket, clutching his plushie close with a small, content smile. Charlie adored how cute he looked. The princess sighed in relief when she saw the limo. She dragged the sack over to the trunk, opened it, and put it in. "Babe? Babe, there's no way that's gonna-" And yet, against all odds, Charlie casually slammed the trunk shut over the sack. Vaggie stared blankly for a moment before deciding to just roll with it. Charlie seemed tp just have a way of making things work.

The princess approached with a broad smile. "Okay, Vaggie, my turn to hold him now!"

Vaggie smirked, held Harry closer, then tapped a finger against her cheek in mock thought. "Hmm...I dunno...He's PREEETTY cuddly."

Charlie's jaw dropped.

Wh- B- Y- You promised!" She exclaimed. Vaggie snickered.

"Really now? Must have slipped my mind... Well, you can have him all right, but it will cost you." Charlie's shoulders sagged.

"Aww... Now what?"

"The toll is one kiss. Pay up, babe."

Charlie blinked several times before her face lit up. "Awww, Vaggie!" She practically floated over to her lover, and the two shared a brief but passionate kiss. In the middle of the kiss, Vaggie carefully shifted Harry into Charlie's arms. The two pulled away with a strand of saliva, and Charlie twirled her little boy around before hugging him close. "You're just too cuuuuute~." She cooed to him gently as she carried him to the car. Vaggie watched in bemusement. Charlie turned to look at her. "C'mon, honey! We have to get back for lunch so Harry can meet everyone else!" Vaggie chuckled and joined her family in the limo. The drive back home began.

Privet Drive...

There was a tense silence in the Dursley's living room. Vernon and Petunia sat before four people.

"...Why, Mr. Dursley? Why would you treat family so poorly that they result to such a horrible method of escape?"

"THAT THING IS NOT FAMILY! IT WAS VERMIN THAT YOU FORCED UPON US! WE NEVER WANTED THAT BLOODY ORPHAN, AND YOU FORCED HIM ON US, YOU OLD CRACKPOT! DAMN YOU, I BLAME YOU FOR THIS! SHOULD HAVE HANDED HIM OVER TO ONE OF YOUR FREAKY KIND! BUT NOOO, YOU NEEDED TO GET US NORMAL FOLK INVOLVED!"

Dumbledore glared silently at the purple faced man as he ranted. He had several awful curses on just the tip of his tongue... He was a fool...A fool to believe that these people could actually put their prejudice aside for the sake of family... He intended to keep Harry safe from Voldemort's followers. But he failed to keep him safe from the torture he suffered at the hands of his own relatives...

McGonagall was not focusing on Vernon. Her gaze was focused squarely on Petunia. How, oh how, could one of the brightest, kindest, most well meaning witches she had ever taught be related to such a vile, hate-filled, spiteful wretch?

Hagrid was trembling, his fists clenched at his sides, half wanting to break down crying, half wanting to grab Vernon Dursley and squeeze his nonexistent neck until it popped off his shoulders.

Severus Snape's mind was reeling. He had judged this child he had never met before so harshly just because he was related to James Potter. He thought Harry Potter would be nothing but a spoiled, arrogant brat like his father. The news that the boy had taken his own life, however... And all the clear signs of abuse and neglect...

He was pathetic... All that anger towards an abused child who never even knew his father to emulate him...

No wonder Lily picked James... James wasn't a spiteful idiot like he was...

Snape hadn't been paying attention until Vernon said one specific sentence...

"THE FREAK'S BETTER OFF DEAD ALONG WITH HIS WHORE OF A MOTHER!"

"CRUCIO!"

Vernon Dursley screamed in absolute agony as the spell hit him full force. He felt as though it was tearing him apart, molecule by molecule.

"VERNON!" Petunia shrieked in horror. Dumbledore looked at Snape in shock. Hagrid stared in silent horror. McGonagall was taken aback, but unsurprised. It wasn't like this was the worst thing that would happen to these two once the wizarding world found out their hero was dead because of them...

Finally, Dumbledore managed to collect himself to end Vernon's suffering. "Severus...Enough." Snape gave Dumbledore a glare before grudgingly ending the spell. Dumbledore sighed, and the room went silent, the only sound being Vernon's agonized sobbing. Finally, Snape broke the silence.

"I hope your five years of tormenting a child were worth it. Because they will be the death of you. When the rest of the wizarding world finds out...and they WILL..."

"No..." Petunia breathed.

"Of course, any punishment is too good for you. You are both trash." The hook nosed man continued. "And soon you will be treated as such."

The room went silent. Dumbledore rose. "...Prepare yourselves...This news...Will spread like wildfire..."

And with that, all magic users present left through the fireplace.

In heaven...

James Potter's fury at finding out his son was intense and passionate. So it was no surprise that Lily's reaction was even more aggressive. How much so?

She punched God. Repeatedly. Without a moment's hesitation. Granted, she didn't really do anything to hurt him, but he played it off like she did to give her the satisfaction. After all...Any mother would be furious if their child was denied entrance to heaven.

All he could do was promise that everything would turn out okay for Harry. And soon enough, he had the footage to reassure them.

Lily and James watched their son wake up in hell and wander around in fear and confusion, and Lily had broken down in tears at the sight of her son in such a place. James had screamed all manners of threats at the scene when Harry was being carried away by the demon who had planned to sell him.

But then it all came together when the shadow was revealed...

"What is that thing, is... is it why harry was barred from Heaven?" Lily asked, her voice shaking from all the crying

"The creature was once a fragment of a monster you once fought against in life, but death destroyed what remained of his personality and memories leaving behind a mass of darkness attached to Harry's soul. We could not let Harry into Heaven with it attached to him because... it is possible exposure to Heaven would have destroyed the creature, and ripped apart Harry's very soul in the process. However this mass absorbed the demonic energies of Hell quickly growing into a demon in Harry's place leaving him untouched."

Lily and James went silent. The horror of what could have happened to their son sunk in. "...I...I..."

"Do not apologize, my child... You were a distraught parent, and your concerns were valid. Unfortunately, the process did not go as well as hoped... I regret to inform you that young Harry spent two weeks time on the streets..."

Lily clenched her fists and James clenched his jaw.

"However, he has been found at last, and he is now in the capable hands of Hell's princess, and her beloved." Lily and James watched the screen intently, watching Harry's shadow tear apart several demons...Until a girl arrived.

She talked down the demon... She picked their son up...Held him... Comforted him when he desperately needed iit... Expressed rage at the misfortune Harry had suffered... And the girl she was dating was equally as caring...

Lily and James were practically pressed against the crystal now. , it was painfully obvious that they wanted to be the ones to comfort and care for their son. Lily took a deep breath to steady herself before asking, "All I want to know is, will he be happy with them?"

"Yes. They will give him all he needs to live happily."

When Lily and James turned back to look at the crystal, they were just in time to watch Harry call Charlie and Vaggie his mama and mommy.

They smiled sadly at the scene. They would never see their child again... But he had found a new family.

They looked at one another and James hugged his wife tightly. Their son wasn't with them, but he was safe and loved, and that was good enough for them.


	4. Chapter 4

The two mothers sat in a comfortable silence as the limo pulled into the hotel's parking lot. The two girls stepped out of the limo and went to grab the bags, only to find Alastor waiting for them with his trademark grin.

"Afternoon, ladies! I've been expecting you." He greeted with a bow. Harry couldn't help but tilt his head curiously at this new face.

"Oh, hi, Alastor." Charlie greeted with a smile. "We were just about to bring in the bags-"

"I wouldn't hear of it! Allow me to take this workload, ladies! Lunch is ready, and let me tell ya, the ladies went all out today! Special occasion and all."

"Aww, thank you, Alastor." Charlie said with a smile.

"Think nothing of it, ma'am!" Alastor replied as he opened the trunk. He looked inside and saw the massive bag before grinning at the princess. "Well I'll be! It's smaller than I expected!" Charlie pouted and looked away. Vaggie just smirked mirthfully. "You three go on to lunch. I'll have these to your room faster than Angel Dust on a muscular guy!"

"Thanks a lot, Alastor." Vaggie said gratefully. Alastor just nodded.

The other residents of the hotel were seated around the table, waiting for them. Baxter was going over the notes for his latest experiment. Niffty was humming cheerfully as she and Mimzy set the table. Angel Dust was once again trying to flirt with Husk. Crymini was sitting with a bored expression on her face, scratching behind her ear.

"Hi everybody! Having a good day off?" Charlie greeted cheerfully.

"I know I am." Husk replied with a nod, taking another swig of his drink.

"Husk, we told you to cut back on the drinking." Vaggie said sternly.

"I am! I'm only having one bottle a day!"

"The glass is taller than you."

"My point still stands."

Vaggie groaned and rubbed her temples, hoping to stave off the forming headache. "Husk..."

As Vaggie began to lecture Husk, Charlie made her way over to where Angel and Niffty were sitting, Harry held in her arms. Angel grinned as the child looked around curiously. "Well, well! The sleeping prince is finally awake!" Harry blinked and looked over at Angel curiosly, causing the spider demon to quirk a brow in amusement. "What's up?" Harry looked away shyly.

"S-Sorry..." Angel blinked in confusion before giving Charlie a questioning look.

"Oh, he's just really, really shy, Angel." Charlie rubbed Harry's head gently. "Don't worry, Harry. Angel's really nice!" 'When he wants to be.' She mentally added.

Angel waved a hand flippantly. "Eh, not really, but hey... I don't mess with kids, so ya don't gotta worry about that."

"Oh...Um...Okay..." Harry said softly before giving Angel another curious look. "Mr. Angel...?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

"Are...Are you a spider?" Angel grinned broadly.

"You better believe it! You're not scared of spiders, are ya?" Harry shook his head.

"No. Spiders are good. They eat up all the bad, mean bugs." He replied. Angel chuckled.

"Yeah, we're awesome like that. No bug on the planet that can outdo a spider. Sometimes they catch entire birds, ya know." Harry blinked.

"Wow! Really?"

"Oh yeah. Just ask Bax over there, he'll tell ya." Angel gestured to Baxter, who was still absorbed in his work. "And that's just normal, tiny spiders. I'm a demon spider, so I can take down some pretty big prey too. Hey...Ya wanna hear about the time I fought a monster?" Harry nodded his head eagerly.

As Angel told his story, Charlie was grinning from ear to ear as she watched the interactions between the child and the demon. Vaggie, who had just joined them,was also pleased with the way they interacted with one another, although she found herself dreading the day where she and Charlie would have to explain why Angel showed up at the hotel in a dress and started flashing the occupants. As she was in thought, suddenly she saw three plates set in front of her, Charlie and Harry.

"Heeere ya go! Mimzy and I worked EXTRA hard on it!" Niffty said with a wink, though with her one eye, it was hard to tell that that's what she was doing.

Charlie smiled at the one eyed demoness. "Aww, thank you, Niffty. Sorry about the kitchen earlier... I just...REALLY wanted to make a special breakfast for Harry." She said sheepishly.

"Aww, don't be silly! How can I be mad at that? I bet it was super good!"

Charlie opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by Vaggie. "Angel, what did we say about weapons at the table?!" Indeed, the spider demon had six oversized guns, one in each hand.

"What? I needed some visual representation for my story."

"Drop...the...WEAPONS!" Harry's shadow snarled as it burst out from the boy's back. Angel scoffed, rolled his eyes and dropped the weapons, causing them to disappear on contact with the ground. "Fine... But yeah, those are the weapons I used to beat that big old bear!"

"Wow... That's really cool." Harry said with a smile. Angel shrugged.

"What can I say? I'm an awesome guy." And then, abruptly, he was shoved aside, as now Niffty wanted her turn to meet Harry.

"Hi! I'm your Auntie Niffty, and I do the cleaning and cooking around here! It's SUPER nice to meet you, Harry! You are SUCH a cutie! Ooh, I hope we get along super well! Mimzy and I made this lunch special to celebrate you being adopted, so I hooe you like it! A lot of time and love went into mmm mmm mmm mmm...mmm?" Vaggie was now covering the cyclops' mouth.

"Niffty, not so loud. You'll scare him. And you're also way too close."

"Oh, and apologize for shovin' me, while you're at it." Angel grumbled as he dusted himself off.

Niffty pouted and backed up. "Sorry... But Angel was hogging him and I wanted a turn too." Angel grumbled and rubbed his head.

"Um...Thank you for the food..." Harry said softly, which immediately got him a big hug from the cyclops.

"Awww, you're welcome! I hope you like it~!" She winked and backed off to eat her own lunch. Vaggie chuckled.

"All right, you've all waited long enough. Let's eat lunch, and then the rest of you can formally meet Harry, sound good?" Sounds of affirmation were heard, and everyone began to eat.

The hotel's staff kept their antics to a minimum as they ate. Partially to avoid scaring the timid child, partially to avoid invoking the wrath of his mothers. Those women were terrifying when angered. All throughout the meal, Charlie and Vaggie took turns spoonfeeding Harry and getting him to try the different dishes that had been prepared.

The meal was nice and cozy, but it ended soon enough, so now it was time for the introductions. "Okay! Harry's met Angel and Niffty..."

"So how about you let me be the next one to get to know the little tyke?"

"Eep!" Charlie squeaked as Alastor spoke behind her. The blonde pouted. "Alastor! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Sorry! That just never gets old! So, whattya say? Wanna introduce me?"

"Well, okay." Charlie agreed with a small smile. "Harry, this is Alastor." Harry looked up at the grinning deer demon.

"Pleased to meet ya, kiddo! How're ya liking your stay so far? It's the best rated hotel in all the land!" Harry tilted his head.

"Um...Hi, Mr. Alastor... Um...You're really happy... Um...Jf you don't mind me asking, how come?" Alastor laughed.

"Ah, who needs a reason to be happy? Let me tell ya something, sonny, you're never fully dressed without a smile! Hey, there's an idea! Let's see your smile! C'mon, kid, show the world how happy you are!" Harry blinked owlishly and hesitated for a few moments. Then, he smiled the best he could. "Heeey, there we go! That's a winning smile if ever I've seen one!" Harry's smile widened, and Charlie and Vaggie giggled. "Say now, why don't I show ya something cool?" Harry blinked.

"Something cool?" He asked.

"You got it, slugger!" Alastor nodded, and, with a quick flex of concentration, his body began to change. His hands became hooves, his antlers became larger and more pronounced, and he was now hairier and on all fours.

Harry's eyes widened at the sight. It was...a deer...

Wordlessly, as if in a trance, he reached out and began to pet the demonic deer. Alastor looked slightly taken aback at the child's innocence, but made no move to stop him.

Charlie and Vaggie exchanged a sad smile as they remembered a tidbit of Harry's old life... He had a plush deer as his one possession before having it ripped away from him...

Eventually, the interaction came to an end, as Alastor changed back to normal and patted Harry's head with a chuckle. "Well, aren't you a fine young lad? Buuut I can't hog all your time to myself now, can I? Sooo...Mimzy, how 'bout you meet him?"

"Well of course, hun." The singer replied, approaching the trio with a smile. "Hiya, cutie." She gave Harry's cheek a gentle pinch. "Ya likin' your new home?"

"Yes...Um...,It's really nice." Harry replied shyly, bringing a smile to the woman's face.

"Aww, glad you think so. We work hard to keep this a...nice enough place." She smiled at the two proud mothers. "You two are settling into parenthood perfectly. Even if Charlie did go on a bit of a shopping spree." Charlie groaned and hid behind her hair.

Vaggie rolls her eyes slightly. "Oooooh yeah. The funny thing is she still only spent less than a quarter of her life savings, which makes me question just how much money she actually has on standby..."

"Well, I mean... I didn't really feel the need to spend a lot when I lived with mother and daddy, so...my allowance money just kinda...piled up? Either way... Money well spent." She smiled at Harry fondly as he hugged his little plushie.

"Well, I don't doubt that!" Mimzy agreed with a smile before stepping forward to introduce herself. "Hiya, cutie. My name's Mimzy!"

"Oh...Um...Hi, Miss Mimzy..." Harry greeted politely yet shyly, waving his little hand in greeting. Mimzy giggled.

"Polite little guy, aint'cha? I'm thinkin' some of the other residents could learn a thing or two from you." She gave Angel a pointed look and got flipped off in response.

"Oh...Um...Thank you..." Harry said shyly. "It's good to be nice to people... Cause they'll...sometimes be nice back." His choice of words raised a few brows. Mimzy gave his head a pat.

"Aww, well, some people are just like that, hun. You can't please everyone. Some people just can't be satisfied, so it's important that you don't let them bring you down. They're just jealous of you." She winked as she said that last part.

Harry, somehow, felt a bit lighter inside at her encouragement. He looked up at her with a small smile. "Thank you..." He said softly. Mimzy's smile widened.

"No problem, hun." She said before returnjng to Alastor, who smiled and looped his arm through hers.

The next to step forward was Baxter, who was waving several beeping devices at Harry while glaring at the screens in focus. Vaggie sighed and massaged her temples. "What's the big experiment this time, Baxter?"

Baxter looked up. "Ah...Yes, well, I'd been wondering about the lad's shadow, so I put this device together to get a better read on it. However, now it's picking up something else within him, and I can't put my finger on what it is."

He showed them the screen revealing an outline of Harry with a ball of energy in his chest, right about where his heart would be. "I haven't the foggiest idea what this energy is, but I can tell you his body is producing it on its own." Several other demons peeked over his shoulders to take a look at the screen, and among them a few could faintly remember something similar, either during their time in Hell or during their life as humans.

"Oh...Um...Is it bad...?" Harry asked timidly. Baxter blinked.

"Oh, yes, how rude of me. Nice meeting you, m'boy, I'm Baxter. And to answer your question...no. Quite the opposite, in fact. This energy seems to radiate warmth and light. A stark but welcome contrast to the darkness your shadow gives off."

Harry tilted his head in confusion, not entirely sure what he had just been told. Charlie giggled. "Don't worry, sweetie. Mama doesn't really get all that sciencey talk either. But hey... He's the mad scientist we told you about."

"Oh yeah...He made something explode, right?" Harry asked. Baxter winced.

"It was only the eighth one this week..."

"And the fact that that's an improvement is unbelievably sad." Vaggie chipped in.

"Well, at the very least I've learned how to contain the explosions."

"Yeah, now they don't cause the whole damn building to go flying three feet in the air." Husk said gruffly.

"Ah, that rocket fuel was absolutely PERFECT." Baxter said with a fond smile. Harry was still confused, and Baxter cleared his throat. "Well, erm... Science is an acquired interest. Certainly not something everybody is going to be interested in. But if you have any questions about my work, I would be more than happy to answer them." Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Mr. Baxter..." Baxter smiled and stepped back. For a moment, no one stepped forth, until Alastor gave Husk a shove.

"Geez, all right, all right..." The cat-like demon grumbled. Then he took another swig, causing Charlie to glare and Vaggie to roll her eyes.

"Husk, why are you drinking in front of Harry?" Charlie asked in exasperation.

Husk looked down at the bottle in his hand. "Fine, fine..." He grumbled as he set the bottle down. "So uh...I'm Husk."

"Kitty?" Harry asked, tilting his head.

"Not by choice, that's for sure.

Charlie giggled and rubbed his head. "Aww, you like kitties, Harry?" She cooed. Harry nodded his head eagerly.

"Uh huh, sometimes I got to stay with Ms. Figg and she had lots of kitties. Really big and fluffy ones! Sometimes they were a little grumpy but they never scratched me."

Charlie looked at Husk with a massive grin on her face. "Grumpy cats?" Husk glared at her.

"I'm not frikkin' Grumpy Cat, woman." He said gruffly. "Crymini's got ya too into that new, over fancy internet nonsense..."

"Aww, but you're just a grumpy kitty!" Charlie teased.

"Crap like this is why." Husk retorted.

"Husky! You should show Harry a magic trick!"

Charlie felt Harry flinch slightly at the word 'magic' in her arms and looked down at him with a small, worried frown. She'd...have to ask about that later...

Husk, for his part, was about to protest, when he noticed Vaggie giving him a stern look. Rolling his eyes, he straightened up and pulled out a pack of cards. He shuffled the deck with one hand, still looking annoyed, but when he saw Harry beginning to look enthralled, his brow quirked slightly. The feline held the shuffled cards out to the child.

"All right, kid, go on and pick a card."

"Oh, um... Which one...?"

"Doesn't matter. Any one's fine." Harry nodded his head, and carefully picked out the Queen of Hearts. "All right, now remember that card there... Look at it closely... Got it memorized?" Harry nodded. "All right, now put it back." Harry nodded and did as he was told. Husk began to shuffle the cards at a blinding speed. "All right, your name's Harry, so that's five cards for five letters..." Husk flicked four cards off the top of the deck before holding up the Queen of Hearts. "This your card?"

Harry's eyes widened. "Y-Yes...!" He says with wonder. "You got it right...! How...?" Husk chuckled.

"A good magician never reveals his secrets." Harry clapped his hands and Husk chuckled. It had been a while since he had last done magic solely for the purpose of entertaining. Usually it was used for cons and swindles.

"Ya liked that? Here's another one." He took out a penny. "See this?" He put the penny in his palm and covered it with his other hand. And when he lifted his hand, the penny was gone. Harry blinked.

"Huh? Where did the money go?" Husk shrugged.

"Who can say? Maybe it's...I dunno...Right here?" He reached over and took the penny out from behind Harry's ear.

"Wow! I didn't even feel it!" Husk smirked.

"That's magic. Huh... I got something in my hat. Lemme check that real quick..." He pulled off his hat and reached inside, pulling out a small white rabbit-like demon.

"Wha-How-Dammit, again with this?!" The demon snapped at Husk.

"How'd ya get in my hat there, Frank?" Husk asked with a wide grin.

"Just put me down, ya jackass!"

"All right, lemme get your ride ready." Husk pulled out a handkerchief and threw it into the air, causing it to turn into a large white dive that swooped down and carried Frank off.

"DAMN IT HUSK, I HATE YOOOOOOOOU!" The rabbit yelled as it was carried off.

Harry was clapping enthusiastically, and Husk chuckled before patting his head. "Y'know, you're okay, kid. You're the first one in a while to appreciate the classics. All these other demons just want all those fancy flashy lights and colours..." Husk shook his head and stepped back as Crymini stepped forward with a smirk.

"So I take it you guys haven't let him outta your sight once since you got him, eh?"

Charlie pouted and tightened her hold on Harry. "And we plan to keep it that way."

"Yeah, we're new moms, so...that's natural." Crymini shook her head and rolled her eyes.

"Man you guys are gonna be smothering... It's not like he can't take of himself, y'know. I mean really, who's stupid enough to mess with a giant shadow snake that looks like it can rip a tank to shreds?" The spotted canine crouched down to get a better look at the child, who winced slightly.

"H-H-Hi, Miss Puppy..." Crymini blinked and stuck out her tongue.

"Blech! Miss Puppy? C'mon, little guy, I'm not old and crusty like Husk over there." Husk shot her a death glare. "How about you call me Crymini, or Mini?"

"Okay Ci...Cry...Crimy... Um... Mini." Harry couldn't quite pronounce her full name, so he settled with Mini, causing her to grin.

"Ah, ya get the hang of bigger words eventually." She said with a shrug.

"Thank you Mini... You're a nice puppy... Not like the other ones at my aunt's house...They were big mean bulldogs..."

"Well, I'm definitely no bulldog. Guess dalmatians are nicer, eh?" Harry smiled softly and reached out with his hand, gently rubbing her head. Despite trying not to enjoy it, Crymini's tail began to wag back and forth. "...I am not living this down, am I?" She said mirthfully. Harry stopped.

"Oh...Sorry..." Crymini chuckled.

"Y'know you remind me of my little bro. Before...Y'know...I came here."

"Didn't you have, like, twelve little brothers?" Vaggie asked.

"Yeah, that was a pain in the neck, but hey...Gotta appreciate the quiet ones, right?" She nuzzled Harry slightly, and he giggled and hugged her head.

"Charlie, I think we have our go-to babysitter." Vaggie said with a small smirk. Charlie nodded with a grin. Crymini's ears perked up.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah, sure, I can do that. Not like I have anything better to do."

"Yep, that's a part of why we asked you specifically." Vaggie replied, smirking slightly.

Harry then interrupted the scene with a soft yawn, causing Charlie to giggle. "Aww, looks like someone's a little tuckered out." She stood with Harry in her arms and leaned in to kiss Vaggie's cheek. "I'm just gonna take him up to our room for a nap, okay, sweetie?"

"Okay, babe." Vaggie replied with a nod, quickly giving Harry a kiss on the forehead. "Have a good nap, kiddo."

"Thank you, mommy..." Harry mumbled sleepily. Charlie smiled as he nestled in closer to her, entirely at ease and content.

"Aww, let's get you into some of your new PJs, okay, honey?" She cooed as she carried him of. Vaggie watched them go with a fond smile, then turned to see everyone looking at her.

"...Okay...What do you wanna know?"

"Well, first of all, how'd the kid kick the bucket?" Angel asked. Vaggie clenched her fists.

"Well, his family was...REALLY abusive. So abusive that he...he couldn't take it... So...So he..." She fell into silence, but she really didn't need to say anything else. The others got the point.

Angel Dust narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Alastor actually frowned and narrowed his eyes. Mimzy clapped a hand over her mouth and gasped. Niffty stood with her jaw hanging open in disbelief. Baxter looked up from his devices with wide eyes. Husk's ears pressed against his head and he gritted his teeth. Crymini let out a feral growl and clenched her fists.

The demons all began speaking at once, each one expressing their rage. None of them would ever, under any circumstances, condone harming a child, any child, much less a sweet one like Harry.

"All right, all right, everyone settle down, one at a time!" Vaggie barked, silencing the angry chorus.

"...What are the names of those scumbags? I'll tear 'em to pieces when they get down here." Crymini snarled, cracking her knuckles.

"They're in for some REAL hell when I get my hands on 'em." Angel chipped in.

Baxter grinned and rubbed his hands together. "I'll finally have the perfect guinea pigs for my big project." He said.

Vaggie smirked slightly before shaking her head. "That's not important right now. The important thing is that Harry's been through a lot, and he needs help getting over it all. He was out there on his own for two weeks when he first got here... Charlie and I are counting on you guys. We need your help to make sure he can...finally be happy..."

Mimzy, seeing the woman about to cry, stepped forward and gave her a hug. "Honey, you don't even have to ask us." She assured her.

"Yeah! I mean, we're already one big happy disfunctional family! What's one more?!" Niffty agreed enthusiastically.

"Yep, he's a good kid. I can get used to having him around." Angel said with a shrug.

"You bet your pretty little head we'll help out!" Alastor agreed. "The boy won't even remember what it's like to be sad when we're done with him!"

The others chipped in their affirmations, and Vaggie smiled.

"Thanks, you guys... You're the best..."

Back upstairs, Charlie had Harry dressed in some blue footed pajamas that she thought looked adorable on him, and tucked into bed up to his tiny chin. "There...All nice and comfy." She said with a small smile.

"Um...Mama...? Do you have to go back downstairs...?" Harry asked timidly. Charlie tilted her head and smiled.

"Awww, you want mama to stay until you fall asleep, sweetie?" She cooed. Harry nodded his head slowly.

"Yes please...If it's okay..." Charlie giggled.

"Who can say no to that little face? Sure!" The princess took a seat on the bed next to her newly adopted son and ran her fingers through his hair gently, humming a soft tune in an attempt to lull him to sleep.

Soon enough, Harry's soft snores were heard throughout the room. Charlie giggled softly and kissed his temple. "Sleep tight, honey." She cooed, stroking his hair. She quietly plugged in the night light she bought, then tiptoed out of the room, making sure to securely lock the door behind her so no one could get in. Just as she was about to turn around, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her and saw some familiar white hair out of the corner of her eye. She smiled and turned to look at her lover.

"Hi, sweetie."

"Heh. Hey to you too, babe." The two exchanged a kiss.

"Harry's fast asleep. I guess the shopping tired him out." Charlie said fondly.

"That and he's about two weeks behind on a good night's sleep." Vaggie replied. "I have everyone else all caught up, and they're out for blood now. So...His family is in for a horrible time when they get down here."

Charlie clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes. "...Vaggie... Before anyone lays a finger on that monster... I want to have words with him." She said in a cold tone of voice.

Vaggie squeezed her shoulder gently to calm her down. "Of course you'll get the chance. We just need to be sure to keep an eye out for him... Maybe if we put a bounty on his head... No way he can hide with all of hell looking for him."

Charlie sighed softly and smileed before realizing something. "He's gonna have to meet my parents at some point. Oooh, I hope that goes well..."

"Well, your dad's a big goofball, so he's no problem. And your mom will come around. She always does eventually."

Charlie giggled softly. "I just hope mother doesn't decide to...toughen him up..." Charlie's relationship with her mother was strained for the longest time because her mother was terrified that her naivete and eccentricities would get her killed down in hell and she it took a while for her to accept that she knew what she was doing.

"If it comes down to it... we'll lay down the law with your mother." Charlie sighed and rubbed her face, her relationship with her mom was just starting to get better. Vaggie sighs and gives her one last squeeze, "Come on, lets go check on Baxter's latest mess and make sure it actually got cleaned up."


End file.
